Sprayer head

Abstract

A self-cleaning sprayer head having the capability to deliver a radially directed spray is disclosed. The sprayer head (10) includes a hollow, elongate casing (16), a flanged outlet end (28), and a plunger (42) mounted for sliding reciprocal movement within the casing. A spring (48) holds the plunger (42) in a retracted position. A flexible disc (38) connected to the outlet end of the casing defines an outlet gap (60). The disc (38) is connected to the plunger (42) for movement between a flush position, wherein the outlet gap (60) has a maximum width, and a spray position wherein the gap (60) has a minimum width. The disc (38) is configured to assume the flush position when the plunger (42) is retracted. When pressurized liquid is introduced into the casing (16), the plunger (42) moves in opposition to the spring (48) from its retracted position, through an intermediate position to a spray position. Simultaneously, the pressurized liquid passes through the ports (58) in the plunger and out through the gap. The disc (38) is moved by the plunger (42) from its flush position to its spray position when the plunger (42) moves from its intermediate position into its spray position. Since the disc (38) does not move from its flush position until the plunger (42) reaches its intermediate position, the pressurized liquid is ermitted to flow through the gap (60) when the gap is at its maximum width.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
       1. A sprayer head comprising: (a) a hollow elongate casing connectable at one end to a source of pressurized liquid, the other end of the casing being an outlet end;   (b) a plunger mounted for sliding reciprocal movement within the casing, the plunger having ports formed therein;   (c) elastic means for urging the plunger into a first position within the casing when no pressurized liquid is being introduced into the casing, the plunger being configured and arranged so that when pressurized liquid is introduced into the casing, the plunger moves in opposition to the urging of the elastic means into a second position; and   (d) a flexible disc connected to the outlet end of the casing to define an outlet gap between the outlet end of the casing and the outermost edge of the disc, the disc being connected for movement between a flush position wherein the gap has a maximum width and a spray position wherein the gap has a minimum width, the disc being configured and arranged to be moved out of the flush position and into the spray position by the plunger when the plunger moves into its second position, the ports and the plunger being configured to direct the introduced pressurized liquid through the gap, the plunger and disc being arranged so that the plunger moves a portion of the distance between the first and second positions before the disc is moved out of the flush position.   
     
     
       2. The sprayer head of claim 1, including lost motion connection means for connecting the plunger to the disc. 
     
     
       3. The sprayer head of claim 2, wherein the disc extends across the outside of the outlet end of the casing and is connected thereto by a plurality of strut elements, and wherein the outermost ends of the disc are moved toward the outlet end of the casing when the disc is moved from its flush position to its spray position. 
     
     
       4. The sprayer head of claim 3, wherein the outlet end of the casing is outwardly flanged and wherein the outermost edge of the flanged outlet end of the casing and the outermost edge of the disc define the gap. 
     
     
       5. The sprayer head of claim 4, wherein the outermost edge of the disc and the outermost edge of the flanged outlet end of the casing are substantially radially equidistant from the longitudinal axis of the casing. 
     
     
       6. The sprayer head of claim 5, further including a plurality of spaced-apart ridges formed in the flanged outlet end of the casing, the ridges extending outwardly to the outermost edge of the flanged outlet end of the casing, the portion of the ridges at the outermost edge of the flanged outlet end extending toward the disc for a distance substantially equal to the minimum width of the gap, thereby dividing the gap into a plurality of spaced-apart orifices when the disc is in the spray position. 
     
     
       7. The sprayer head of claim 2, wherein the lost motion connection means comprises a pin attached to and extending from the plunger toward the disc, the disc having a central aperture through which the pin passes, the pin having a head on its outermost end, the diameter of the head being greater than the diameter of the aperture. 
     
     
       8. The sprayer head of claim 1, wherein the disc is formed of substantially elastic material, the disc being in an undeformed state when it is in the flush position, the disc being deformed by the plunger when the plunger moves into its second position, and wherein the elastic force generated within the deformed disc returns the disc to its flush position when the plunger moves from its second position to its first position. 
     
     
       9. The sprayer head of claim 8, wherein the outlet end of the casing is outwardly flanged, and wherein the outermost edge of the flanged outlet edge of the casing and the outermost edge of the disc define the gap. 
     
     
       10. The sprayer head of claim 9, wherein the outermost edge of the disc and the outermost edge of the flanged outlet end of the casing are substantially radially equidistant from the longitudinal axis of the casing. 
     
     
       11. The sprayer head of claim 10, further including the plurality of spaced-apart ridges formed in the flanged outlet end of the casing, the ridges extending outwardly to the outermost edge of the flanged outlet end of the casing, the portion of the ridges at the outermost edge of the flanged outlet end extending toward the disc for a distance substantially equal to the minimum width of the gap thereby dividing the gap into a plurality of spaced-apart orifices when the disc is in the spray position. 
     
     
       12. A self-cleaning sprayer head comprising: (a) a casing having an inlet end, an outlet end, and a bore extending between the inlet and outlet ends, the inlet end being connectable to a source of pressurized liquid;   (b) a flexible disc connected to, but spaced from, the casing proximal to the outlet end thereof, the disc being normally positioned so that its outermost edge and the outermost end of the casing define a gap;   (c) a plunger mounted for sliding reciprocal movement within the bore of the casing, the plunger being configured to slide between a first position wherein the plunger is located away from the disc, and a second position wherein the plunger is in contact with the disc, the disc being configured and arranged so that when the plunger is in the second position, the disc is moved out of its normal position to a spray position wherein the size of the gap is reduced relative to its size when the disc is in the normal positon, the plunger being configured to move from the first to the second position in response to the pressurized liquid when the liquid flows into the bore of the casing, the plunger having ports to direct the liquid from the bore of the casing into the space between the disc and the casing and out through the gap, the plunger and ports being configured and arranged so that the pressurized liquid is directed out of the gap before the disc is moved by the plunger out of its normal position; and   (d) return means for returning the plunger to the first position when the flow of pressurized liquid into the bore is shut off.   
     
     
       13. The sprayer head of claim 12, wherein the disc is formed of substantially elastic material, the disc being in an underformed state when in the normal position, the disc being deformed when moved by the plunger into its second position, and wherein the elastic force generated within the deformed disc returns the disc to its normal position when the flow of pressurized liquid is shut off. 
     
     
       14. The sprayer head of claim 13, wherein the outlet end of the casing is outwardly flanged, the outermost edge of the flanged outlet end of the casing and the outermost end of the disc defining the outlet gap. 
     
     
       15. The sprayer head of claim 14, wherein the outermost edge of the disc and the outermost edge of the flanged outlet end of the casing are substantially radially equidistant from the longitudinal axis of the casing. 
     
     
       16. The sprayer head of claim 12, wherein the return means comprises a spring mounted in the casing for urging the plunger toward the first position and lost motion connection means connecting the plunger and disc for linking the motion of the plunger to the disc as the plunger returns to the first position. 
     
     
       17. The sprayer head of claim 16, wherein the lost motion connection means comprises a pin attached to and extending from the plunger toward the disc and a central aperture in the disc through which the pin passes, said pin having a head on its outermost end, the diameter of the head being greater than the diameter of the aperture.